How It Is
by Jennifer Collins
Summary: Something changes between them after they find each other.


Carol made her way over to where Daryl was settled against a tree trunk. "Rick took over my watch for tonight. Do you need anything before I turn in?"

Daryl shrugged. "Who's watchin lil' Asskicker?"

"Carl's with her now. Says he can't sleep anyway."

Daryl nodded, patting the space next to him in the grass. "C'mere for a bit."

She wordlessly obliged, sighing softly as she sat beside him. He didn't say anything else, so she didn't either.

After awhile, she felt more than heard his hand creep closer to hers. He gently brushed against her, barely even a nudge. She took his hand in hers, her eyes widening in surprise as she curled her fingers around his and held on tight.

They sat like that in silence for a few moments before Carol leaned her head down on his shoulder. She half expected him to tense up and mutter something incoherent, but he didn't even flinch, so she nestled closer.

He swallowed hard. Her breath, warm on his neck, was doing crazy things to him. He only moved to awkwardly drape his arm across her shoulders. "You always come back to me, don't ya?" He murmured softly.

She smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Good," he said quietly. "You and your nine lives…." He sniffed.

She raised her eyes to look up at his face.

"What would I have done without ya?" He whispered.

"We," she said softly, slowly lifting her head from his shoulder. "We always come back. To each other," she added, her gaze falling upon his lips.

His eyes widened, suddenly realizing how close their faces were. "Carol… " he started, his voice choking.

"Ssshhh," she whispered, leaning in and to his surprise, he was leaning too and then her mouth was pressed to his. Her lips were soft and supple and he idly wondered if his were too damned chapped to be doing this.

It was Carol who pulled away first, the ghost of a smile hiding across her pink cheeks. "Good?" She asked, maybe a little too hopefully.

He nodded. "Good," he agreed, moving forward to kiss her again, soft and slow at first and then with a hunger he didn't even realize he'd possessed.

He knew he was under her spell, with her hands tangled in his hair, nails stroking his scalp as her eyes fell closed. She felt good in his arms, crawling into his lap as they kissed and God, in that moment he just wanted to hold onto her for as long as she'd let him.

He moved his mouth down her neck, kissing hungrily and she shivered as the hair on his chin tickled her skin. A soft sound escaped her throat, something between a moan and a whimper.

"Want me ta stop?" He asked, his hands running up and down her arms as she sighed softly.

"No," she whispered, leaning her head back to give him better access. "Don't stop."

He moved with her as he continued to nibble at her flesh until he was half on top of her. She pulled him forward, her hands clutching at his shirt. "Hold on," he breathed, partly afraid that he wouldn't be able to hide the effect she was having on him for much longer. "I don't have a blanket."

"There's one in my bag," she said, nodding over to where her backpack was lodged in between his and the tree trunk.

He scrambled over to pull it out of her pack and when he turned around again he saw her teeth glinting in the moonlight as a mischievous grin overtook her features. "Where's yours?" She asked, smiling impishly. "Or were you hoping we could share?"

He smiled in relief, overcome with emotion at the fact that she was back. Sweet Carol, Good Carol, his Carol laughing silently at his lack of response. Then he was on her again, kissing her hard, his hands pulling at the hem of her tank top. "This alright?" He asked.

She nodded wordlessly, leaning back into the blanket, with her wide blue eyes trained on his face. She was visibly shaking as he leaned over her.

"Cold?" He wondered.

She shook her head.

"Oh," he whispered, looking down at her glazed expression, his heart pounding in his ears with the knowledge that there was no turning back. His own hands shook as he pushed her shirt up, stroking his fingers soothingly across her stomach.

"You're so soft," he murmured, nuzzling her neck. "How come I never knew how soft ya are?"

"I don't know," she whispered, pulling him down to kiss him deeply. She opened her mouth against his, drawing him in and he eagerly accepted her invitation, clumsily pushing his tongue against hers.

Her eyes closed as they kissed, her fingers slipping between the buttons on his shirt to feel his chest. He hummed softly, his hands tentatively rising up her ribcage. He unconsciously slipped a thigh between her legs and she moved against him, her hip brushing against his excitement. His eyes popped open, cheeks reddening as she studied his features.

"It's okay," she breathed. "I could… take care of that for you."

His heart caught in his throat at the thought and he had to shake himself out of his daze when he felt her hand on his belt buckle. "Wait," he murmured. "It's been awhile. You do that and this might be over real quick."

She blinked with the realization of what he was letting her decide. "I… it's been awhile for me too," she whispered.

He slowly tugged the zipper of her cargo pants down, noticing her tongue darting out to wet her lips in anticipation. "Stop me," he said, his hand spreading across her pink lace panties.

She shook her head. "I don't want you to stop."

He sucked in a breath when he felt that the material was damp, breathed in deep the scent of her arousal. "Can't promise it'll be good," he said quietly, slipping his hand into her underwear and rubbing between her legs.

She was wet, a lot wetter than he expected and he cursed. "Fuck, I wanna feel you inside. That alright?"

She nodded wordlessly, spreading her legs for him. He tugged her pants down slightly, just enough so that he could fit his hand comfortably inside, his fingers teasing at her opening before he slipped the middle one inside. She mewled softly, wiggling her hips in encouragement.

"I don't… really know how this works, baby," he murmured, kissing on the side of her neck. "Ya gotta tell me what feels good." He slipped another finger into her vagina, stroking her slowly.

"That," she whispered, biting her lip against a moan. "That feels good."

He pushed his fingers in and out, watching her face to make sure she was enjoying it. His thumb found her clit and she cried out as he began to work her. "Sssh," he whispered into her ear.

She buried her face in his neck to muffle her deep moans as he pleasured her.

"Can you come like this?" He asked, plunging deeper.

"Yessss," she hissed softly. "Oh, yes."

He pushed harder and faster, almost not believing that he was here, fucking her with his fingers and she was liking it. He rubbed her clit in small circles, assumed that he was doing something right when her fingers dug into his shoulders as she clutched him close.

"Daryl," she whimpered. "Please."

He cursed inwardly, wishing he knew exactly what it was that she was asking for so he could give it to her and then her whole body tensed and she was screaming into his neck, her inner muscles pulsating around his fingers.

"Shit," he said. "You get any hotter'n yer gonna make me go in my pants."

Her fingers fumbled insistently with his belt buckle.

"Ya think I'm kiddin'" he muttered.

"Shut up and fuck me," she groaned.

He pulled her pants and underwear down the rest of the way with a growl, nearly split his zipper in his haste to get out of his own pants.

He groaned loudly at the feel of her delicate hands around him, gripped himself to guide to her entrance.

She looked up at him with wide eyes, a hint of fear causing moisture to start forming.

"Relax," he murmured, stroking her hair with his free hand. "Ain't gonna hurt ya."

She nodded, her hands shaking as she tried to grip his arms.

"I can stop," he insisted, brushing a soft kiss against her ear.

"Don't," she breathed, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Alright," he whispered, pressing his dick against her. "Hay, hay, look at me."

She opened her eyes to do as he asked.

"Touch me," he breathed.

She raised her hands to his face, cupping his chin in her hands and sliding her fingers up to stroke his cheeks.

He pushed in slowly and she cried out. "Easy, baby. Don't fight me," he murmured, pushing deeper.

She wrapped her legs around his hips to take him deeper, moaning softly as he pushed all the way in.

"Oh, f-fuck," he nearly whined. "You feel so good."

"You too," she whispered, urging him with her hips to move.

He lowered his head to kiss her as he slowly started to thrust, bracing his hands on her shoulders.

She pushed her hands up the back of his shirt, her fingers moving gently over uneven skin and he closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers.

"Look at me," she breathed, raising her hips to push back against his thrusts.

"Thought I lost ya," he whimpered as he moved inside her.

"Me too," she cried, tears falling down her cheeks.

"God, I need you," he whispered, pushing into her.

"Then take me," she whispered back, pulling his face back down to hers.

He pushed harder, listening to her quiet moans inbetween kisses. "Ya alright?" he asked, moving his mouth back down her throat.

"Ungh, yes," she groaned. "Feels good."

He sucked hard on her neck as he fucked her, feeling his orgasm already threatening to spill and knowing it would be intense.

She grabbed his ass, urging him on as his thrusts became more and more erratic and then he was spilling into her with a loud grunt.

"Carol," he choked out. "So good."

"Mmmm," she hummed.

He raised his hand to her face, gently brushing her tears away with his thumb and pausing to stroke her eyebrow. "So… that's how it is now, with us?"

She smoothed his hair back from his face. "That's how it is."

"Good," he said, slumping down and resting his head on her chest. "That's how it's gotta be."


End file.
